BY NELILE NXUMALO (INTERN)
MBABANE– The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will host the Annual Conference of Heads of Corrections, Prisons and Penitentiary Services from 19 to 22 May 2026 in Salima, Malawi, as regional leaders intensify efforts to improve offender rehabilitation and reintegration.
The conference, which will be held at the Sunbird Livingstonia Hotel with the support of the Government of Malawi, will bring together heads of correctional services from across the region to discuss solutions aimed at transforming correctional institutions and reducing repeat offending.
According to information sourced SADC social media page , the conference will be held under the theme “Pathways to Change: Facilitating Effective Offender Rehabilitation and Reintegration in Corrections/Prisons,” the conference highlights the region’s growing commitment to shifting from punitive correctional systems towards rehabilitation-centred approaches that empower offenders to successfully reintegrate into society.
SADC stated that correctional institutions across the region continue to face challenges including overcrowding in prisons and increasing recidivism rates. The conference is therefore expected to provide a platform for member states to exchange experiences, strengthen cooperation and identify practical strategies to improve correctional services.
The official opening of the conference will be led by Malawi’s Minister of Homeland Security, Honourable Peter Mukhito, who is expected to emphasise the importance of regional collaboration in promoting effective offender rehabilitation programmes.
According to SADC, delegates will deliberate on best practices that can support rehabilitation, skills development and social reintegration of offenders while also addressing operational challenges affecting correctional facilities in the region.
The annual conference forms part of SADC’s broader efforts to strengthen peace, security and justice through coordinated regional initiatives that promote humane and progressive correctional systems.
#SADC #Malawi #CorrectionsServices #OffenderRehabilitation
(Courtesy Pic)
